Every time I meet someone new, the inevitable question arises: “So, what do you do for a living?” When I share that I work in the insurance industry, I receive a handful of typical follow-up questions: “Isn't that boring?”, “So you're really good with numbers?”, “Aren't insurance companies evil?” and, my personal favorite, “Can you make my insurance cheaper?”
It's not surprising. The stereotype of a career in insurance is on par with that of a used car salesman–a slick-talking professional looking to make a buck any way he or she can. There's a huge lack of knowledge among the general public about insurance and how it works. We know insurance isn't just about making a sale; it's about helping clients adapt to changing life circumstances, nurturing relationships and protecting their assets.
Before serving this industry, the only time I thought about insurance was when the bill came in the mail for my car insurance premium, or when my mother–a long-time veteran in the insurance industry and current commercial lines marketing director–would discuss her work day at the dinner table. As an undergraduate, I studied criminal justice and believed a career in law enforcement was in the cards for me. I couldn't imagine crunching numbers, sitting in a cubicle and cold calling all day to try and make a living as an insurance agent.
Interestingly, it was an internship in the criminal justice field at the county prosecutor's office that laid the groundwork for my current career. Not only did the job nurture my investigative disposition, but I shared my desk with a gentleman who worked the night shift and had a surprising aspiration. He was about to leave his job for a new career as an insurance agent. This piqued my interest: Why would someone in a field I'd dreamed of entering since childhood leave it for the hum-drum world of insurance?
It wasn't until after I graduated from college in December 2008 that the industry became an option for me. With a slumping job market, I took a position tangentially related to my major, biding my time while I looked for something better. Soon thereafter, I attended a career fair at Stockton College (my alma mater) where I ran into Josh Batushansky, marketing/operations manager at The Barclay Group, someone I knew through my mother. Josh was at the fair representing Project Y (www.projectynj.org), a special joint initiative of the Professional Insurance Agents of New Jersey Inc. and the New Jersey Young Insurance Professionals,. Project Y aims to recruit high school and college graduates throughout the state into the insurance field. He told me all about the industry and how it was the perfect field for young professionals who wanted it all: rewarding work, high compensation and growth opportunities. I knew at that moment that the insurance industry was where I wanted to be.
I've come a long way from writing off a career in insurance as boring and unfulfilling. The stereotypes are simply untrue–insurance is a business dedicated to helping people. My work fulfills my inner detective, while providing me with more than a career in law enforcement could give me and limitless potential for growth.
The key is information–once I knew more about the industry, I began to realize that it isn't just punching numbers and denying claims. I ask my fellow agents to travel into their local communities and spread the word about the opportunities available in insurance to young jobseekers–PIANJ and NJYIP have made this simple with their Recruitment Tool Kit for members.
Insurance was the right choice for me. It's up to you to go out there and share with young professionals why a career in insurance could be the right choice for them.
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